Rugby World Cup
Sonny Bill Williams stars as All Blacks confirm Rugby World Cup favouritism
Sam Bruce
September 20, 2015
New Zealand too strong for Argentina

The All Blacks were rattled, no two ways about it. But the fact they were able to steady, and power past the Pumas, underlines their quality and confirms why they remain the popular pick to become the first nation to successfully defend the Webb Ellis Trophy.

Every one of the 89,019 fans on hand at the home of English football will have left Wembley satisfied, some more than others, after a gripping contest of World Cup rugby that put an exclamation mark on a wonderful opening weekend of the tournament.

What the pro-Pumas crowd witnessed first, however, was an All Blacks outfit way off their game. The world champions started the first half solidly enough with three Dan Carter penalties, but it was clear Argentina were playing more of the rugby; the Pumas looked confident in attack, assured in defence, and forced errors of their more-fancied opponents. They also gave up just three points while back-rower Pablo Matera was in the sin-bin.

Then came the drama, and the moment that highlighted the seriousness of the battle in which the All Blacks found themselves.

Richie McCaw, one of the all-time greats of the game, was yellow-carded for a trip after referee Wayne Barnes was directed to the big screen by the Television Match Official. What the Englishman saw was a sneaky little boot from the All Blacks skipper, and McCaw was rightfully given 10 minutes to consider his actions. McCaw was subsequently booed every time his face flashed up on the big screen, and the Pumas fans later made it impossible to hear the All Blacks skipper's post-match interview. He'd played the part of villain, and was suffering his just desserts.

Next Conrad Smith was directed to a 10-minute breather after the veteran centre had committed a cynical breakdown infringement while the Pumas were on the attack; for a few short minutes the All Blacks were down to 13 players, but then a penalty on the stroke of half-time ensured they went to the sheds trailing by just one point.

The Pumas started the brighter upon the resumption, and Nicolas Sanchez kicked a penalty to take them out to a 16-12 lead; for much of the opening minutes of the second stanza, they remained the better side.

Enter Sonny Bill Williams.

© Mike Hewitt/2015 Getty Images

You'd have been hard-pressed to find someone who thought the code-hopper should have started this match ahead of Ma'a Nonu, and it may be that the bench is where he remains. But there was no denying Williams' impact at Wembley, as he quickly used those seemingly ever-moving arms for a series of offloads and would have had a try assist but for the sloppy hands of Nehe Milner-Skudder. The rookie winger's poor handling didn't deter Williams, though, and the centre soon had the All Blacks rumbling up field.

Williams wasn't acting alone either. Man-of-the-match Brodie Retallick continued to throw himself about the paddock while that most genius of half-backs, Aaron Smith, produced a step, shimmy and dummy to score the All Blacks' opening try. It had taken 56 minutes, but the Highlanders scrum-half's five-pointer could not have been more timely. The momentum had swung.

Yet still the errors came. Another brilliant run from Smith should have secured the All Blacks' second try, but further sloppy handling, this time from replacement Sam Cane, kept the Pumas in the contest; just like Milner-Skudder, Cane should have held the pass. The back-rower was soon offered a shot at redemption, however, and he made no mistake second time around as he swallowed the final pass from that man Williams to kill off the gutsy Argentina resistance.

This was not one of the finer All Blacks victories, and coach Steve Hansen is sure to have handed down some stern words post match.

Instead, it was an example of the array of quality at their disposal and the fact that even when some of their most trusted team men are off, others are capable of stepping in and offering a course correction. Sunday night, it was Aaron Smith and Sonny Bill Williams. And boy didn't they need them.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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